Creating liturgical music is important for Judaism.
So says Wendy Morrison, one of five local composers to have their pieces presented by Shalshelet: The Foundation for New Jewish Liturgical Music at its Second International Festival of New Jewish Liturgical Music at Ohr Kodesh Congregation on Sunday.
In all, 36 compositions by 30 composers will be presented at the daylong festival of workshops and evening concert.
"New and different melodies inspire people [religiously]," says the Silver Spring resident. "Jewish liturgical music has to grow and breathe so people will be engaged with it. It has to change, not stay static."
The 57-year-old member of Tikvat Israel in Rockville tutors b'nai mitzvah kids and teaches Hebrew at Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, in addition to repairing accordions and teaching music at the House of Musical Traditions in Takoma Park.
She also plays the accordion, tin whistle, banjo and concertina for two klezmer bands ‹ Klesmos and Klezcentricity ‹ and is an instrumentalist with Shalshelet (no connection with Shalshelet the foundation), which she founded in 2002.
She began writing liturgical music by looking through the zemirot (songs) in her bencher (a book of prayers and songs), composing tunes for the ones for which she didn't know the melodies.
"I liked the results and then found other texts that presented themselves for tunes," she says. "The tunes started writing themselves after a while."
Two of her works ‹ "Ner l'achod, ner l'mea" ("The Light of One Is the Light of Many") and "Hine El yeshuati" ("Behold God is our Salvation") ‹ will be performed in the festival.
She credits another local Shalshelet winner, Cantor Terry Horowit of Rockville, with encouraging her to continue writing liturgical music.
David Berkenbilt of Alexandria, a retired dentist whose music also will be performed at the festival, is thankful to Shalshelet for "encouraging composers to keep writing."
"It is difficult to get it [new liturgical music] performed, and Shalshelet helps with that," says the member of Fairfax's Congregation Olam Tikvah. "It is always nice to have someone who is interested in your music."
Berkenbilt, 69, graduated from George Mason University with a degree in music composition in 1995. While a student, he sent compositions to P'nina McCabe, then director of the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia choir.
"She suggested that I set a couple of High Holiday prayers to music, and that's how I got started on liturgical music," he says.
His "Hanukkah Lights" and "Hanukkah, Nes Gadol" ("Chanukah, Great Miracle"), which won awards in the Amadeus Choir of Toronto's annual Christmas/Chanukah song competition, will be performed.
In addition to Morrison, Horowit and Berkenbilt, other local composers whose works will be performed are Rabbi Ethan Seidel of Tifereth Israel Congregation in the District and David Pinansky from Herndon.
Shalshelet (Hebrew for "chain") this year received 300 submission from 107 composers in the U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Israel and Uganda.
A committee composed of Shalshelet president Chazzan Dr. Ramon Tasat of Temple Shalom in Chevy Chase; vice president Chazzan Natasha J. Hirschhorn, music director at Congregation Anshe Chesed in New York; and vice president Dr. Norma Brooks, a clinical psychologist in the District, chose the winning entries.
The compositions include tunes for congregational singing, cantorial solos and choral pieces in chasidic, jazz, classical, South American and American pop styles. ‹ Aaron Leibel
The daylong festival begins at 10 a.m.; the concert starts at 7 p.m. Advance tickets ‹ for the concert only, $20; workshops and brunch, $30; and concert, workshops and brunch, $40 ‹ are available at www.shalshelet.org. At the door, each event is an additional $5.
